Marcus Pettersson Signs Five-Year Extension
The Pittsburgh Penguins have locked up one of their young defensemen, signing Marcus Pettersson to a five-year extension. The deal will carry an average annual value of $4,025,175 and keep Pettersson under contract through the 2024-25 season. The deal also includes a modified no-trade clause GM Jim Rutherford explained why he made the deal:
In just over a year, Marcus has had a significant impact on our defensive group. He is young, reliable and smart, which is important in today’s game. Marcus is part of our young core and it was important to get him signed long-term.
As CapFriendly points out on Twitter, it looks like the Penguins and Pettersson have added the new deal to the $874,125 qualifying offer he signed last summer. That would basically make this a six-year, $21MM deal for the young defender who has found his legs in Pittsburgh after starting his career with the Anaheim Ducks.
Acquired in exchange for Daniel Sprong last season, the 23-year old Pettersson has quickly emerged as a promising option for the Penguins. A solid partner for Erik Gudbranson at the end of the 2018-19 campaign, he registered 19 points in 57 games. This season, especially when paired with rookie John Marino, Pettersson has been even better and now routinely logs more than 20 minutes a night. That role is locked in now that he’s going to cost the team a pretty penny.
In fact, Pettersson now becomes the third-highest paid defenseman on the Penguins for the 2020-21 season trailing only Kris Letang ($7.25MM cap hit) and Brian Dumoulin ($4.1MM). Add in Jack Johnson‘s deal that extends through the 2022-23 season and the Penguins already have four defensemen with substantial long-term cap hits. Pettersson’s contract will raise questions about Justin Schultz, who is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. The Penguins could extend him as well, but have some tough decisions to make in order to stay under the cap ceiling. Jared McCann, Dominik Simon, Dominik Kahun, Matt Murray, Tristan Jarry and Juuso Riikola are all arbitration-eligible restricted free agents that will be looking for raises this summer.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
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Vegas Golden Knights Fire Gerard Gallant, Hire Peter DeBoer
Thursday: Gallant was supposed to coach the Pacific Division All-Star team at this month’s event, but will be replaced by Rick Tocchet of the Arizona Coyotes.
Wednesday: In shocking news this morning, the Vegas Golden Knights have decided to fire the first coach in franchise history, Gerard Gallant, and replace him with Peter DeBoer. Gallant’s assistant Mike Kelly has also been relieved of his duties. General manager Kelly McCrimmon released a statement on the move:
In order for our team to reach its full potential, we determined a coaching change was necessary. Our team is capable of more than we have demonstrated this season. We would like to thank Gerard and Mike for their service to the Vegas Golden Knights. They were both instrumental to the success we have enjoyed in our first two-plus seasons and we wish them all the best moving forward. In Peter DeBoer, we have a proven, experienced head coach who we believe can help us achieve our ultimate goal. We are excited to welcome Peter and his family to the Vegas Golden Knights organization. We look forward to a strong finish to the 2019-20 season with Peter at the helm and a successful tenure in the seasons to come.
Gallant was hired to lead the Golden Knights into their first season in 2017, and did more with a roster of misfits and castoffs than anyone expected. The expansion club got off to a fast start and never looked back, riding strong goaltending and breakout performances all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. Though they would lose in five games to the Washington Capitals, a 51-24-7 season was considered an unparalleled success for the expansion franchise and proved that Vegas was already a contender in the Western Conference.
That expectation of success only continued last season, when the Golden Knights once again made the playoffs with a 43-32-7 record. While that was a step backwards, the team still had 93 points and was within a goal of going to the second round after a brutal loss to the San Jose Sharks. This season saw more of that success, though a four-game losing streak now has the Golden Knights sitting just outside the playoff picture, tied with the Vancouver Canucks and Winnipeg Jets but having played two more games.
Perhaps it is that losing streak that did him in, as Gallant’s dismissal has been called completely “performance based.” The team has regressed in terms of points percentage since they started, but how much you can blame that on the coach is unclear. It’ll be DeBoer’s opportunity to show that he can turn things around, with a third of the season still remaining.
Speaking of DeBoer, he gets a new job after only being fired himself a month ago. The former Sharks bench boss is back in business after being let go earlier this season, and will start in with his fourth team. The two-time Stanley Cup finalist has never won the ultimate prize, but does have a .550 winning percentage across 855 career games behind the bench.
Nicklas Backstrom Signs Five-Year Extension
The Washington Capitals weren’t going to let one of their franchise icons go anywhere. Nicklas Backstrom has agreed to a five-year contract extension that will delay his unrestricted free agency until the summer of 2025. Backstrom negotiated the deal himself, and will get a hefty raise. The contract is worth a total of $46MM, meaning the veteran center will carry a $9.2MM cap hit starting next season. The full breakdown is as follows:
- 2020-21: $6.0MM salary + $6.0MM signing bonus
- 2021-22: $5.0MM salary + $5.0MM signing bonus
- 2022-23: $3.0MM salary + $3.0MM signing bonus
- 2023-24: $5.0MM salary + $5.0MM signing bonus
- 2024-25: $2.0MM salary + $6.0MM signing bonus
According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, the deal also includes a full no-movement clause in the first three years and a 15-team no-trade clause in the final two. Backstrom currently carries a $6.7MM cap hit, though that deal was signed back in 2010 and was actually worth the same cap percentage at the time as his new one.
There was little doubt that the two sides would eventually get something done, as Backstrom is not only a franchise icon but still one of their most productive players. The 32-year old center has had six consecutive seasons of at least 70 points and is well on his way to that mark again with 35 points in his first 39 games. The dynamic playmaker may never match his career-highs of 33 goals and 101 points set back in 2009-10, but he is still a force on the powerplay and can carry a top-six line.
Still, signing any 32-year old to a five year extension carries a fair amount of risk. The fact that it makes him the 17th highest-paid forward in the league next season only exacerbates that risk, meaning the Capitals have to make sure they are still surrounding their aging duo of Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin with enough young talent to compete. Luckily, the team has been hesitant to trade their first round picks in recent years meaning they have prospects like Connor McMichael and Alex Alexeyev on the way.
The focus in Washington now turns to Braden Holtby, another piece of their core that is scheduled for unrestricted free agency. Holtby’s situation is quite different than Backstrom’s however, given the play of Ilya Samsonov this season. The young goaltender has quite clearly outplayed Holtby and looks ready to take on a starting role in the NHL. Even in a bad year, the veteran Capitals goaltender will command a huge contract on the open market thanks to his long history of success and playoff triumphs.
For now though it is a day to celebrate Backstrom’s new deal, which will almost certainly allow him to become the second player in Capitals history to score 1,000 points with the franchise. He is already the all-time franchise leader in assists with 668, and is likely on his way to the Hall of Fame one day.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
New Jersey Devils Fire General Manager Ray Shero
In shocking news, the New Jersey Devils have fired general manager Ray Shero as the Devils released a statement by Devils Managing Partner and Chairman Josh Harris. New Jersey will look to assistant general manager Tom Fitgerald, who will take over as interim general manager, while Martin Brodeur will help out as an advisor in hockey operations, according to The Athletic’s Corey Masisak.
“The New Jersey Devils and General Manager Ray Shero have agreed to part ways, effective immediately,” Harris said in the statement. “Ray is a talented hockey executive and I am confident he will have great success in the future. However, Ray and I are in agreement that the Devils need to move in a new direction and that this change is in the best interest of the team.”
It’s a strange time for the team to rid themselves of their GM, only five weeks after Shero fired head coach John Hynes, already the head coach of the Nashville Predators, and less than a month after the team moved their star player in Taylor Hall. In fact, it’s quite rare that teams fire their GM at midseason, although the Philadelphia Flyers did that same thing last season with Ron Hextall. However, it seems obvious the team decided it didn’t want Shero making roster moves with the trade deadline five weeks away and the Devils rumored to be looking to sell.
In fact a number of names have come up in New Jersey in terms of trade candidates. The team already moved Taylor Hall for a modest return. However, other names are thought to be available as there is a general belief that the Devils are ready to commit to a full rebuild around centers Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier. With that in mind, New Jersey could look to unload Kyle Palmieri, Sami Vatanen, Wayne Simmonds and possibly even P.K. Subban, who Shero acquired this summer.
Shero took over for Lou Lamoriello back in May of 2015 after an eight-year run as GM of the Pittsburgh Penguins between 2006 to 2014. However, despite acquiring one of the greatest trade steals when the team acquired Hall for defenseman Adam Larsson from Edmonton’s Peter Chiarelli, the team has just one playoff win to show for it in the last four years. This was supposed to be the year that the Devils returned to the playoffs. The team was hoping to add some talent to convince Hall to re-sign with the team by acquiring Subban, Simmonds and KHL star Nikita Gusev to its roster. Instead the team struggled out of the gate and Hall gave more and more indications that he would sign elsewhere in May, prompting Shero to trade him in December.
Devils’ Steve Cangialosi was the first to report the firing.
Flames Sign Rasmus Andersson To A Six-Year Extension
The Flames have locked up one of their young defensemen for the long term as they announced that they’ve signed Rasmus Andersson to a six-year extension. The deal will carry an AAV of $4.55MM.
Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that the deal breaks down as follows:
2020-21: $5.05MM
2021-22: $4.05MM
2022-23: $4.55MM
2023-24: $4.55MM
2024-25: $4.55MM
2025-26: $4.55MM
The 23-year-old is in his second season as a regular on Calgary’s back end and has seen his role increase considerably from his rookie year. After spending a lot of time on the third pairing a season ago, he has spent a fair bit of time inside their top four while averaging over 19 minutes a night in playing time. He has also seen his production tick up slightly as he’s on pace to surpass the 19 points he put up a year ago as he already has three goals and nine assists on the season in 45 games.
This contract represents a significant raise on his current entry-level deal that carries an AAV of just over $755K with an extra $57.5K in performance bonuses. He was slated to become a restricted free agent without arbitration rights this summer but this deal will buy out his remaining RFA years plus two seasons of UFA eligibility.
Andersson is now the fourth Calgary defender signed for next season, joining Mark Giordano, Noah Hanifin, and Juuso Valimaki (injured). With now more than $64MM in commitments for next season already to just 13 players, it’s hard to imagine that they’ll be able to keep both of their notable pending UFA blueliners in the fold in T.J. Brodie and Travis Hamonic; the latter already indicated earlier back in October that he would not engage in any discussion regarding a contract extension during the season.
With that in mind, it’s safe to assume that Andersson should be a regular in their top four in 2020-21, something that certainly would have come into consideration during these talks. This price tag may seem a bit high for the moment but if he continues to show improvement over the next few seasons, it has the potential to be a value deal as the contract progresses.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Hurricanes Sign Justin Williams To A One-Year Contract
There had been plenty of speculation in recent days that the Hurricanes and Justin Williams were closing in on a deal but it’s now official. The team announced that they’ve signed the winger to a one-year contract. He will receive a base salary of the league minimum $700K (pro-rated) plus up to $1.3MM in potential performance bonuses based on individual and team play both in the regular season and playoffs.
GM Don Waddell released the following statement on the signing:
We’ve been in frequent contact with Justin over the last few months regarding his status. We’re thrilled that he has decided to return to playing, and we’re confident that adding him to our group will help us both on and off the ice.
The 38-year-old served as Carolina’s captain last season before “taking a break” from the game back in early September before training camps open. However, he continued to skate and was believed to have increased his training in recent days with talks intensifying towards a new contract.
Williams was rather productive for the Hurricanes a year ago when he collected 23 goals and 30 assists while playing in all 82 regular season games; his 53 points were good enough to rank third on the team in scoring. While it would be unreasonable to expect him to come in and produce at a similar rate down the stretch this season, he should still be able to be a useful secondary scorer on a team that is already in the top ten in goals scored.
For his career, Williams has 312 goals and 474 assists in 1,244 games between four teams. His 786 points have him in the top 200 in all-time NHL scoring.
The structure of the contract, though a little odd, isn’t much of a surprise. As a result of the Patrick Marleau acquisition and buyout back in June, the Hurricanes are carrying his full $6.25MM deal on the books this season. Add to that the summer signings of winger Ryan Dzingel and defenseman Jake Gardiner (who combine for a $7.425MM price tag) and Carolina is a team that’s relatively tight to the cap. Structuring the deal to be bonus-laden minimizes the potential cap effects this season while also not taking too much away from their current cap room. If the bonuses ultimately push them over the Upper Limit, the overage penalty would be applied in 2020-21 when Marleau’s deal is off the books and they have more flexibility to absorb it.
Considering that he hasn’t played all season, it will be interesting to see if Williams jumps in right away for their next game on Friday against Arizona or if he will need some more time to get into playing shape. Either way, what has already been a pretty deep attack this season just got deeper.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Nashville Predators Announce John Hynes As New Head Coach
After firing Peter Laviolette last night, the Nashville Predators have worked quickly to secure their next head coach. The team has hired John Hynes as the third head coach in franchise history. Hynes of course was also fired earlier this season by the New Jersey Devils. GM David Poile released a short statement on the hire:
John Hynes is bright young coach and great leader who has a track record of both effectively developing young players and successfully motivating veterans. We love his coaching resume and are confident that he has learned from every stop during his career, and has the best skill set to get the maximum potential out of our team.
Hynes was hired by the Devils in 2015 after a successful run as head coach of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL, and actually led the team to an immediate improvement. New Jersey posted a winning season at 38-36-8, though still weren’t good enough to qualify for the playoffs. That would come in 2017-18 when Hynes took them from near the bottom of the standings to a 97-point finish on the back of Taylor Hall‘s Hart Trophy performance, and everything looked to be on track for the Devils to continue a strong rebuild.
Unfortunately, that rebuild took a huge step backwards last season and even after bringing in high profile players was a disaster again this year. The Devils were 9-13-4 when they fired Hynes, meaning his overall record at the NHL level sits at 150-159-45.
Even with that mediocre record, Hynes’ hiring in Nashville comes as little surprise. Many around the hockey world immediately thought of him when Laviolette was let go, in part because of the connection to Poile. The two have worked together in the USA Hockey system and Ray Shero, who hired Hynes when he was with Pittsburgh and then again with New Jersey, is a former protege of Poile from his time in Nashville.
That familiarity will come in handy as Hynes and Poile try to right the ship in Nashville. The team has a ton of talent all over the roster, but currently sit sixth in the Central Division with a 19-15-7 record. While that is certainly not out of the race, a much more dominant season was expected by the Predators after signing Matt Duchene in the offseason to a huge free agent contract.
The start of the Hynes era in Nashville starts tonight when they take on the Boston Bruins.
Nashville Predators Fire Peter Laviolette
The Nashville Predators have decided to move in a different direction. The team announced that head coach Peter Laviolette has been relieved of his coaching duties, along with associate coach Kevin McCarthy. General manager David Poile released a short statement:
Under the leadership of Peter and Kevin, our organization reached unprecedented heights – from our franchise-altering run to the Stanley Cup Final to a Presidents’ Trophy and our first two Central Division titles. Their passion for the game, ability to motivate a team and drive to be the best makes this a difficult decision. On behalf of the entire organization, I would like to thank Peter and Kevin for all their contributions to the Nashville Predators over the past five-and-a-half seasons.
Just a few days ago Poile had claimed that Laviolette’s job was not in jeopardy, but that apparently didn’t last long. The Predators lost again last night in a shootout to the Anaheim Ducks, putting them at 19-15-7 on the season despite a positive goal differential. Their stars have been good, but the team can’t seem to get any sustained success, only once having a winning streak of more than two games. Perhaps most embarrassing was a loss to the Dallas Stars in the Winter Classic, even after getting out to a 2-0 lead.
Amazingly, the Predators are now looking for only their third coach in franchise history. Barry Trotz coached the team for their first 15 seasons, and Laviolette has been in charge since 2014. In that time he led the team to the Stanley Cup final and compiled a regular season record of 248-143-60, but clearly wasn’t the choice for the team at this point. A team representative told reporters including Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet that the head coach for the Predators’ game tomorrow night is “to be announced” as there was no interim coach named in the release.
It will be interesting to see if Laviolette quickly lands somewhere else in the NHL, as he has had an extremely successful career behind the bench. A Stanley Cup winner in 2006 with the Carolina Hurricanes, he has an all-time head coaching record of 637-425-25-123 in the regular season and 75-68 in the playoffs.
Montreal Canadiens Sign Ilya Kovalchuk
Another NHL team has taken a chance on Ilya Kovalchuk. The Montreal Canadiens announced a contract for the enigmatic Russian sniper, signing Kovalchuk to a one-year, two-way contract worth $700K at the NHL level. The deal is worth the minimum at both the NHL and AHL level, limiting the risk involved with signing the former Los Angeles King.
Kovalchuk, 36, comes to the Canadiens after agreeing to a mutual contract termination with the Kings that saw him walk away from several million dollars. Getting that kind of money again was never going to be in the cards, but by agreeing to a minimum-salary contract Kovalchuk at least signals that he’s motivated by the hockey opportunity that is available with the Canadiens.
That opportunity is immediate after Montreal announced that Brendan Gallagher is out indefinitely with a concussion. While the two play very different games, Kovalchuk can perhaps help to bring some of the goal scoring the team lost when Gallagher went out. There is reason to believe that even at an advanced age, the former KHL star can still put the puck in the net.
While he never fit with the Kings, clashing with coaches and failing to bring the production expected of a player earning $6.25MM per season, Kovalchuk still does have a wicked shot and nose for the net. In 64 games last season he recorded 16 goals and 34 points, and had nine points in his first 17 games this season before being removed from the lineup in November. That huge gap in playing time will be a difficult one to overcome, though he did stay with the Kings and continued practicing for a month before the termination came to pass.
The simple fact for Montreal right now is that they need to do something to try and get back on track. After sitting in a playoff spot through much of the early part of the season, the Canadiens are now sixth in the Atlantic Division and have lost their last four games. An 18-17-6 record isn’t going to cut it and if they want any sniff of the postseason they’ll have to start scoring more goals.
At this point there is very little risk for the Canadiens, but Marc Bergevin explained the situation from Kovalchuk’s point of view very succinctly at his press conference today (via Eric Engels of Sportsnet):
He has to buy in. It’s his last chance.